Elevator



E. PHILLIPS April 3, 1934.

ELEvAToR Filed MayI 23. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR W p l BY@ ATTORNEY wle@ GV@ 0@ O0 @GI @GIG MVIQIAWGIIIGII@ www April 3, 1934` E. PHILLIPS 1,953,771?.v

ELEVATOR Filed May 23, 1931 S'Sheets-Shee'c 2 TM p INVEN OR 0* 1T Y BY A @RNEV April 3, 1934. E PHLUPS 1,953,772

ELEVATOR Filed May 23, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'INVENTOR ya ,@Leef BY @ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATI-:Ks PATENT OFFICE Application Mayas, 1931, serial No. 539,544

zroiaims. (ci. 1st-16) My invention relates to improvements in elevator systems, and more particularly, has reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in its application to a new method and arrangement for operating elevator cars, such as are commonly used in commercial and apartment buildings.

In' high buildings, the long length of cable necessarily required has presented many aggravating problems which increase with the increas ing height of the buildings, and demand for better service. It is one of the objects of the present invention to eliminate the use of cables entirely, and to operate the cars directly by motive power, and further has for its object means for increasing or decreasing the number of cars in operation during the various hours of the day without shutting down any particular shaft.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have illlustrated in Fig. 1 in side elevation, a suitable arrangement of chute or hatch-way guide and car driving means adapted to operate therewith, the same embodying an application of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of a car driving mechanism and part of the hatch-way guide. Fig. 3 is a View looking from right to left at Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa view similar to Fig. 1, ex- 'cept that it illustrates the lower end of the car guide-ways showing means foi-adding or taking off cars, Fig. 5 is a plan View looking down upon the top of one of the cars while traveling in the guideways, the latter being in crosssection. Fig. 6 illustrates a suitable switch in side eleva# tion, parts being broken away, and Fig. 7 is a modified form of guideway in perspective. The guideways are shown largerin cross section for the purpose of clearness.

6 indicates the guide at each side of the shaft, the same being shown to advantage in Fig. 5, where the main guide is channel shape as shown, and is provided with pins 7, upon which rollers S are rotatably mounted. Another channel 9 is secured back to back with the channel 6, and provides guidance for the roller 22 which carries the motor equipment.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the main guide 6, it will be seen, is provided with rollers 8 in suitably staggered relation to engage the spiral or thread 11 of the motor. The motor mechanism consists of an electric motor (not shown) operatively secured to a cylinder as shown, the same being secured within and to a suitable rectangular' frame, such as 12, having flanged pulleys 13 at the corners for riding within the ring 14, said ring being secured to the ,car 15 at 16 as shown,

and the car is provided at opposite sides with roll ers 17 to keep the same properly suspended from the carrying rings 14. The rollers 22 of the motor frame travel in the same guide channel 9 as the rollers 17 of the car, except that when passing 6@ over the top or around the bottom, the car rollers take another path as hereinafter described. The rectangular motor frames may be eonnected at 'the top and bottom by suitable cross bracing 18, upon which the motor (not shown) may be mounted, the spindle of the motor and axis 19 of the Worm being concentric, so that when the motor is rotated, the worm 11 rotates, and, riding upon the rollers 8, lifts the car, or allows the car to descend according to the direc- 7G tion in which the current is admitted. In other words, the motor (not shown) is preferably mounted upon the cross bracing of the rectangular framework 12, and is operatively connected to the cylinder carrying wormll. When Vthe motor mechanism has approached the top, itV will naturally veer to the right looking at Fig. 1, and the suspended car 15 likewise veering to the right,

lwill allow the roller 17 thereof to follow the guide 20, the car 15 hanging from the motor mechanism 80 by the ring 14 much the same as a pendulum due to the rotation of said carrying ring 14, upon the pulleys 13, while the Worm follows the `curved path of the guides 6, 9. While the motor completely reverses in position when the opposite shaft has been reached for descendingythe car, of course, it will be understood, still remains upright, and the guide pulley 17 of the car leaving the guide channel 20 now follows the guide chan-v nel 9. Entrance to the car is made from theocrridor between the up-going and clown-going shafts, which means that the car is preferably provided with doors, both at the right and left sides looking at Figs. 1 and 4.

As thecar approaches the bottom of the guide, the guide pulley 17 of the car passes down through the guide channel 21, leaving the guide channel 9 to the guide pulleys 22 of the motor mechanism, which follows around the saine due to the fact that the car 15 in starting to move leftwardly due to the curve in the channel 21, causes the first guide pulley 22 of the motor mechanism to pass through the opening, indicated at 23, in the guide channel therefor, instead of continuing down through the guide channel 21. Should it now be desired to take the car out of service for any reason, another guide channel 24 is provided for the motor guide pulleys 22, and likewise a larger channel 6' for the rollers 8, for engagement by the spiral 11 of the motor mechanism, so that by now reversing the motor and by throwing a suitable switch between the junction of the guide channels 23 and 24, the latter will be opened, allowing the car to progress rightwardly, looking at Fig. 4, out of the path of the next following car, and when the car is desired again for service, it is driven leftwardly looking at Fig. 4, and passes upwardly at the left into the chute and serves, thus facilitating the increase or decrease of the number of cars, according to the service hours of the day.

The system of elevator transportation described is also safer than the cable systems now in use for the reason that in the event of accident, the car cannot fall rapidly, and can be very easily braked or stopped, as any tendency of the spiral l1 to rotate counter-wise can be very easily and readily prevented by any well known mechanisms, such as brake-bands, clutches, etc. The speed of the car can, of course, be regulated according to the pitch of the spiral ll and speed of thev motor. The cars will be traveling up at one side of the corridors and down at the other, the corridors being between shafts, and these corridors can be as wide as desired.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 7 wherein a Ymocliiied form of guide-rail mechanism is shown at one side of the shaft in perspective, 6 indicates the base plate from which the lpins 7 extend and carry pulleys 8, upon which the worm 1l of the motor travels. Centrally of this Iplate is the channel, having side walls 25, Adjacent the top of the hatch-way, another channel, having side walls 26,26', shallower than the walls 25, 25', extend from side to side as shown, and the rollers 17 of the car extend into the channel 25, 25', almost tothe base thereof, so that in traveling .upwardly, Ythe roller l7 strikes the channel 26.at 27, while the rollers 22 of the motor, which do not extend as deeply into the channel 25, 25', clear the curved-out portion 27 of the channel wall 26, riding nearer the outer edge of the rvchannel-25, 25', and the rollers 22 take the curve at the top of'theguide at about the same time that .the roller A17 of the car takes the curve 27 of the channel 26, 26', the shaft upon which the rollers 17 are mounted passing through the cutaway portion-,28 of the channel `wall 25', to allow the. car to pass, and, of course, pass the cutaway portion 29 at the opposite side as the car descends.

The arrangement adjacent the bottom of the shaft is much the same, the car shaft forthe roller 17 being longer than the shafts for the rollers .22, continueldown thevguidefas indicated at .30, passing through the cutaway portion 31,whilethe rollers`22 of themotor, entering the channel 25, 25', only half way, ridebetween the curved -walls 32,33, ywhile the car roller 17, enteringbetween the walls25, 25' Amore deeply, passbclowaszprovided for.

In either form of guide rails, a form of switch, such -as shown in Fig-6, may be found desirable,

and the same is, of course, provided for the rollers 22 of the motor, as well as for the roller 17 of the car. By reference now more particularly to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the side wall 25 is cut away, as indicated in dotted outline at 34, so that in descending, the rollers 17 or 22 strike the pivoted section 35, which has an off-set portion 36, counter-weighted at 37, and pivoted at 38, allowing the roller to pass, and immediately returning yto the position indicated at 35, so that by reversing the motor, the motor and car can now move rightwardly, as indicated by the arrow, to be taken out Vof service. In other words, the pivoted section 35, 36, remains normal in the position shown in full outline, or moves to the position, shown in dotted outline, as the car and motor pass, one switch being'provided for the motor, and another for the car, as previously explained. When it is desired to restore .service of the car, the same is moved leftwardly, looking at Fig. 4, and travels upwardly at the left of the shaft, as .previously explained.

An elevator system of the character described .is susceptible Aof all of the usual methods of control, safety devices, etc., .and in order to avoid interference whenmore than one car is in the shaft at the same time, any well known system of block signaling may be employed.

Of course, it will be understood that various modications ymay be made in the construction and yarrangement of parts without departing from .the spirit of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

l. In an elevator systemof the class .wherein the-elevatorcaris driven inan endless path, comprising twosubstantially.parallel vertical portions connectedat the bottom and top byoval portions, guide `means defining the said endless path, .motive means mounted on said car, including a rotary element, vthe combination therewith of mounting .means for the rotary element, said 115 mounting -means having ,a turning .movement about a horizontal ,axis vperpendicular tothe axis of rotation ofzsaid rotary element, the said mounting means including means cooperating .with .the said guide meansfor effecting the turning of said supportingmeans,about saidv horizontal axis as the car isdriven along the endless pathfwhereby .the -said rotary element is rotated in the same direction throughouta complete trip.

2. Thearrangement claimed in claim l wherein Vmeans is provided for insuring the maintaining `of the rcar in upright position as it passes along the respective oval portions of the path, which comprises auxiliary guides substantially parallel .with the above namedfoval guides-and converging vwith theabove named vertical guides, and means on the car vfor cooperation therewith as .the carpasses from one vertical portionto .the other to thereby maintain the car inupright .positionduring thisportion of the travel. l

'EUGENE PHILLIPS. 

